Greetings City of Inkster Residents,
This is a notice that the City will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth holiday. All emergency/first responder personnel and buildings will remain operational as scheduled. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, June 20th.
Juneteenth History:
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day ) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The year following 1865, freed men in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19th. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as African Americans migrated from Texas to other parts of the country, the Juneteenth tradition spread. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a national federal holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.
As we all enjoy and celebrate the powerful and inspiring strides that the African American communities have made to gain rights, freedom, and equality in the United States, lets also share a moment of silence with our friends, families and loved ones as we remember all of the lives lost to slavery. Those who’ve passed on due to slavery could’ve been our nations and the world’s greatest achievers, but weren’t given the freedom or opportunity to cultivate that life. May we remember them with sincere prayers and make them proud.
Words to remember:
- “If there is just about anything to rejoice it can be my ancestors, African People who survived the atrocity and stain of slavery… I honor them these days with a guarantee that I will keep on to combat for your unexplored desires and hopes.” —Viola Davis
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Zahraa Al-Ghawalb, BA-M
Human Resources Director
City of Inkster
Phone: 313-563-3212 ext. 1211
Email: zal-ghawalb@cityofinkster.com
26215 Trowbridge St.
Inkster, MI 48141
www.cityofinkster.com
